Wet behind the ears
Whether you're a student of etymology or you don't even know what that word means, tell us how you think this animal expression originated. We'll post the most accurate as well as the most inventive. Email your answer to when_pigs@discovery.com.
Wet behind the ears refers to baby bears, who try and copy their mothers by dunking their heads into the water after salmon. Mother bears, being experienced, know that the water will not harm them. Baby bears, not being experienced, are afraid of the water at first. Hence the saying means, someone inexperienced at something is "wet behind the ears."
—kfolstad
I would guess that this phrase came from the fact that many mother animals (like cats) lick their babies all over — including behind the ears. Thus the phrase "wet behind the ears" would refer to someone who is very young and/or inexperienced.
—Cindy Griffith
One of the last places a newborn animal dries is behind the ears. Thus, the saying refers to someone who is still quite young and inexperienced.
—lori_simms
